February 2016

Jeb Bush recently made headlines for allegedly forgetting to renew his domain name. It was discovered that JebBush.com was pointing to Donald Trump’s official campaign website. Since this news originally broke, we have learned that Bush never owned JebBush.com, and Trump never had control of that domain. A company in Australia owns it.

This brings to light the important, and often overlooked, point that maintaining your domain name is crucial for your business. While Bush didn’t actually lose his domain to Trump, well known businesses have let their domains expire in the past. Big name brands like Google, Microsoft, and the Dallas Cowboys have all let their domains expire, and a mistake like that can be very costly for any business.

What happens when your domain expires?

If you forget to renew your domain, and it expires, you will lose access to it. Domain registrars, like GoDaddy, will give you a certain period of time to buy it back, sometimes with a penalty attached. Once that grace period has ended, your domain will be auctioned off or awarded to someone who has it backordered. If no one has bid on or backordered your domain, it becomes available for anyone to register.

You may think that a temporary lapse in your website being available is no big deal, but letting your domain expire can cause a serious hardship for your business. For example:
You and your employees will have no access to your company email. Meaning any electronic communication between you, your staff, and customers is lost.

You can lose customers to your competitor if they are searching for your services online and can’t access your website.

Your competitor can purchase your domain and have it redirect to their own website.
An individual or business can purchase your domain and require you to pay a premium price, sometimes thousands of dollars, to get the rights to it back.

Protect your domain name by taking these precautions:

It’s easy to forget about renewing your domain. Logging into your registrar is not something anyone needs to do for the normal day-to-day operations of their business. However, ensuring that your domain doesn’t expire is essential for your brand image. Follow these steps to safeguard your good name:

Renew your domain name for multiple years in advance
Registrars will often allow you to pay in advance for more than one year; sometimes up to 10 years in advance for a .com. It is a good idea for you to renew your domain for as many years in advance as you can. Just be sure to make a note in your calendar of the expiration date, so you can renew again before your domain expires.

Set your domain registration to auto renew
Pay attention to emails and renewal notices from your domain registrar so you know when you should expect a charge. Also, login to your account periodically to make sure all of your information is up-to-date; especially your credit card information and email. All too often, business owners lose their domain because the credit card on file was expired and they never received a renewal notice.

Make sure you are in control
If you have someone else managing your website, make sure your domain name is registered under your name, and that you have all of the login credentials. An issue we run into when building a website, or setting up email for our clients, is finding out what the login information to their domain registrar is, who setup the domain and who has access to this information. A lot of business owners pass off the job of renewing their domain to someone else in their company, when they should be the one in control of it.

Remember, your domain name is an extension of your business. It plays a major role in your online reputation with your customers and search engines. If you follow the advice above, you can save yourself the frustration and expense of trying to recover a lost domain name.

Lauren Dingus is the web and graphics designer at Speros, responsible for the website development division, including: graphic design and branding, content writing, and consulting on digital marketing strategies. For information, contact Lauren at ldingus@speros.com or 912.354.8900

Andrew Dewitt and Chris Tilton announced the opening of the Dewitt Tilton Group in Savannah, Ga. The commercial construction firm, located at 2807-A Roger Lacey Avenue, Savannah, Ga 31404, manages every aspect of a project, from pre-construction to the final walk through.

With over 50 years of combined experience in the Coastal Georgia building industry, Andrew and Chris are both Savannah natives and alumni of Benedictine Military School.

After high school, Andrew received his BBA in Real Estate from the University of Georgia. He is also President of Dewitt, Cook & Associates, a full-service appraisal firm actively engaged in real estate valuation and consulting assignments. Andrew is a certified appraiser in Ga. and S.C. and currently is a member of the Savannah Board of Realtors.

Chris, a Georgia and South Carolina licensed commercial contractor, graduated with honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology, receiving a BS degree in the field of Building Construction. After many years of experience with large construction firms outside the area, Chris is pleased to return to Savannah with his family.

(SAVANNAH, GA) Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department began using SwiftReach, an emergency community notification system. While home phone numbers are automatically entered, mobile phone numbers are not and SCMPD encourages everyone to register their mobile device in order to ensure important information is distributed to community members as quickly as possible. Registration is free and will be able to alert the public to missing persons, severe weather, evacuation orders, and other urgent public safety scenarios. Each SCMPD precinct will have Crime Prevention Officers on hand Wednesday, March 24 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to help sign people up. For more information, and a step-by-step how to video, visit http://scmpd.org/swiftreach-faq/

FAST PITCH

(SAVANNAH, GA) The Creative Coast will host their annual FastPitch competition on Friday, March 4 from 11:30 a.m. until the end of happy hour. In addition to being a great place to network, speak with mentors, and gain exposure, it will also feature 24 3-minute pitches. All they need to make the night perfect would be someone to be able to video tape the pitches. Think you might be interested? For more information, visit https://www.thecreativecoast.org/creative-coast-gearing-up-for-fastpitch-competition/#.VtB5SLS3MUU

(SAVANNAH, GA) The Chatham Area Transit Authority meeting will be moved from its regularly scheduled time on the third Tuesday of every month to Tuesday, March 22 in consideration of the Savannah City Council meeting regarding the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. The meeting will be open to the public and held at the Joe Murray Rivers, Jr. Intermodal Transit Center located at 610 West Oglethorpe Avenue. For more information, visit http://www.catchacat.org

NOTRE DAME CLUB

(SAVANNAH, GA) Presented by The Notre Dame Club of Savannah, The University of Notre Dame Glee Club will host a concert on Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. This free event will take place at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, located at 1707 Bull St. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see the internationally acclaimed Club perform during their 100th anniversary Spring Tour. For more information, visit www.ndgleeclub.com

MOVEMENT IN THE PARK

(SAVANNAH, GA) The third annual “Movement in the Park” Health and Wellness Fair will be held on Sunday, May 15 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. in Forsyth Park. Sponsored by Dawn Baker and Fleet Feet Savannah, the event will have a Dawning of a Miracle Mile walk/run, Zumba, yoga, vendors, and refreshments. Proceeds from this event will benefit Dawn Baker’s scholarship, “The Dawning of a Miracle Scholarship” which is a $1,000 grant awarded to a college-bound graduating female with a chronic/life-threatening illness or a senior who has succeeded in spite of adversity. http://www.dawnbakeronline.com/index.php?id=30

(SAVANNAH, GA) The 2016 JCB MudFest is excited to announce a new partnership with Enmarket. Enmarket will be supplying healthy eats for the event this year. For more information, visit http://jcbmudfest.com

SPEECH ON REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

(SAVANNAH, GA) Marjorie Young will present the workshop, “Strategies to Boost Your Professional Reputation,” during the 2016 GAWDA (Gases and Welding Distributors Association) Spring Management Conference on Monday, April 4 in Savannah at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa. For event information, https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfGasesWelding/?fref=nf

HB 757

(SAVANNAH, GA ) OnFebruary 19 the Georgia Senate passed House Bill 757, also known as “First Amendment Defense Act,” in a 38-14 vote. The bill is now being considered by the Georgia House of Representatives. If passed into law, the bill would allow any taxpayer-funded, faith-based nonprofit or agency to deny all services based on religious beliefs. For more information on the potential long/short-term implications of this law’s passage, visit: http://carriagetradepr.com/send-hb-757-first-amendment-defense-act-to-the-wastebin-of-history/

OUTSOURCING YOUR SALES

(SCORE) Join score on Thursday, February 25 at 1 to 2 p.m. for their free webinar, “How To Increase Revenue and Close More Deals by Outsourcing Your Sales” and answer the age old question about how to get more bang for your buck. For more information, visit http://ow.ly/XPoSn

(SAVANNAH, GA) Free Potluck and Movie Night at Savannah Yoga Center March 12 at 5:30 for a community screening of the movie, Forks Over Knives and make sure to bring your favorite vegetarian/vegan dish to share with everyone. Free and open to the public. For more information visit, http://savannahyoga.com/workshops

(SAVANNAH, GA) Coastal Pet Rescue introduces Limpy, a male tabby rescued on November 21 who is in need of a forever home. He is 4-5 months old, housebroken, and great with other cats. To view Limpy and other animals available for adoption, visit: http://coastalpetrescue.org/adopt/view/2015-c-117-limpy/

YOUTH ART MONTH AT SAVANNAH MALL

(SAVANNAH, GA) The Savannah Mall will showcase students’ works of art during the month of March, in recognition of National Youth Art Month (YAM). Projects created by students from 53 area schools will be displayed in the Dillard’s Court from Saturday, March 5 to Sunday, March 27. For more information visit, http://events.savannahnow.com/event/arts-crafts/youth-art-month-exhibit

(SAVANNAH, GA) Savannah-Chatham County Animal Control is seeking volunteers to help with the animal shelter on Sallie Mood Drive throughout the year. No prior animal experience is necessary. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, children who are 16 or older can volunteer with a parent present. To sign up for volunteer orientation email jarmstrong@savannahga.gov. For more information, visit http://animalcontrol.chathamcounty.org

Ridder is currently working toward a degree in Public Relations with a minor in Psychology and a cognate in Marketing.

“Being one of the oldest Public Relations firms in Savannah, we have a unique opportunity to share our expertise with new professionals coming into our field,” said Marjorie Young, CEO and Founder of Carriage Trade PR. “We look forward to showing Colleen what projects our publicists have for our corporate, small business and nonprofit organizations looking to manage their reputation.”

Ridder is involved on campus with Hokie Ambassadors, a volunteer position that leads tours for prospective students. The organization was named in honor of the school’s mascot, the Hokie bird.

In addition, Ridder is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority and has previously served as the Panhellenic Delegate, a position that works as a liaison between the chapter and the Panhellenic community. In this role, Ridder was responsible for coordinating collaborative efforts within the Greek community.

Ridder was a previous intern at Tote, Inc. in Princeton, NJ. During the position, Ridder developed social media launch plans and strengthened communication between internal and external companies.

Ridder said, “I am excited for the opportunity to apply my education to real world scenarios and develop a professional relationship with two amazing companies.”

During her time off, Ridder enjoys horseback riding, running, and training guide dogs for the blind through Seeing Eye, Inc. Ridder graduated from Montgomery High School in Montgomery, NJ and is daughter to Debbie and Jerry Ridder and sister to Sean Ridder, 24.

ABOUT CARRIAGE TRADE PR, INC:
Carriage Trade PR, Inc. and Cecilia Russo Marketing, LLC. are a collaborative PR / Marketing team combining over 30 years of experience helping businesses increase their visibility in their community and globally online through reputation management strategies. For more information, visit carriagetradepr.com or crussomarketing.com. Follow Carriage Trade PR on twitter at @carriagetradepr.com

Last Friday (February 19), the Georgia Senate passed House Bill 757, also known as “First Amendment Defense Act,” in a 38-14 vote. The bill is now being considered by the Georgia House of Representatives.

If passed into law, the bill would allow any taxpayer-funded, faith-based nonprofit or agency to deny all services based on religious beliefs. While some may claim this legislation has something to do with protecting the right to practice religion, it absolutely does not. Rather, it has everything to do with legally sanctioning discrimination, specifically against the LGBT community.

Attorneys are trained to see both sides of every issue, but I can only find one side here. This proposal is, without question, simply a disgrace and an embarrassment to our state and its people. Here are the facts of HB 757:

UNNECESSARY. Despite the deliberately-misleading rants of fear mongers, religious freedom in America is not in any danger. In fact, Georgia is already one of 28 states that does not extend ANY legal protection from discrimination to LGBT citizens. The passage of this law is essentially a symbolic message to those citizens saying, “But we really MEAN it.” Georgia’s LGBT community is a vital, thriving part of our state’s economy and culture. The Georgia Senate, in its fast-track approval of HB 757, essentially said, “We don’t care about that and we don’t care about them.”

ECONOMIC IMPACT WILL BE TREMENDOUS. Within hours of the Senate vote, LGBT-owned or friendly companies starting threatening to boycott the State of Georgia if this bill becomes law. This is no idle threat, and indeed a few have already left. Just ask Arizona about the economic impact of nationwide boycotts. It would affect every single business sector. It would not only undo all of the progress that has been made over the past few years, but such a boycott would also cripple the entertainment industry, which is one of the fastest-growing sectors of Georgia’s economy.

ALL FOR NOTHING. The United States Constitution guarantees equal treatment and protection to all citizens, particularly when taxpayer funds are involved. This bill is thus grossly unconstitutional. It is just a matter of time until it is struck down, but by then the damage will have been done. And it may be irreparable.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. Even the Georgia Senate knows that you cannot only extend “protection” to Christianity. Such a law would have to apply equally to ALL religions. If someone practices sharia law, for example, this bill would give them the freedom to discriminate against women and non-Muslims. Indeed, these exact same arguments have been used to justify segregation and other discrimination of all kinds over the years.

The Georgia House of Representatives needs to vote this measure down immediately. In addition, Governor Nathan Deal should publicly pledge right now that he will veto this backwards embarrassment of a bill if it dares grace his desk.

Here’s the bottom line: tolerance, inclusion and acceptance will ALWAYS win out in the end. It always has. It’s time to move ahead into the 21st century and make certain Georgia is viewed as a modern, forward-thinking state that welcomes the contributions of all of its citizens. These efforts at systemic discrimination need to be relegated to the wastebin of history, not passed into law. Our elected leaders must find the courage to stand up for tolerance and justice rather than pandering to the outdated prejudices of the most unenlightened of its citizens.

Charles Bowen is a business attorney who focuses on commercial, banking and entertainment law and also offers comprehensive mediation services. He may be contacted at 912.544.2050 or cbowen@thebowenlawgroup.com

(SAVANNAH, GA) The Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire (RMHC) is pleased to announce three new members have joined its 2016 Board of Directors. The Board has also elected executive committee members for the upcoming year. RHMC is a nonprofit organization that provides a home away from home for critically ill and injured children and their families who are receiving treatment at Savannah area hospitals.

The new Board members are Dr. Sara Brawner, Geoffrey Smith and Monica Spells.

Brawner is a nurse practitioner (NP) with a doctorate in nursing. She is employed by United Healthcare as an NP serving homebound patients, and teaches health assessment and adult gerontology to nurses seeking their NP degree at South University.

Spells is an assistant county administrator, Civic Engagement and Outreach, with Beaufort County, South Carolina. She will serve as the Board’s liaison with RMHC’s Care Mobile program, which provides dental services to Beaufort County residents.

Smith, a certified public accountant and Tax and Business Solutions manager with TJS Deemer Dana LLP, will serve on the RMHC’s Board as treasurer.

“Our new Board members offer a range of expertise from medical to financial and will enable us to continue to offer vital support programs throughout the Coastal Empire and Low Country,” said Sorochak. “Every member of the Board is instrumental in helping the Ronald McDonald House provide exceptional service to families.”

The RHMC Board of Directors is comprised of leading executives who represent banks, marketing companies, law offices, franchises, hospitals, insurance companies and local governments. Board members provide guidance on operation of the Ronald McDonald Charities of the Coastal Empire and securing funding for the organization’s objectives. For more information, visit http://www.rmhccoastalempire.org

MORE ABOUT RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF THE COASTAL EMPIRE
The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire is to create, find and support programs that directly enhance the health and well-being of children and families. The Savannah Ronald McDonald House has thirteen bedrooms and operates on a waiting list most of the year. The House provides a “home away from home” for families who live more than thirty miles away and who have a critically ill or injured child receiving treatment at Memorial Children’s Hospital, Candler Hospital, or where needed in the Coastal Empire.

(SAVANNAH, GA) Savannah Jaycees is now accepting nominations for Savannah area singles to be featured in the 2016 Charity Date Night Auction. The third annual Charity Date Night Auction will be held on Thursday, August 4 at 7 p.m. at the Club One-“Showroom,” located at 1 N Jefferson St, Savannah, GA 31401.

Savannah Jaycees’ selection committee will name five men and five women to participate in this charity event, raising money for a local nonprofit organization, which is yet to be announced.

To be considered, email nominations to the Savannah Jaycees at community.savjaycees@gmail.com. Nominations should include: name, age, bio, contact information, ideal date and an attached headshot. Individuals may be nominated by friends and family. All applications will be reviewed by the Charity Date Night Auction Nomination Committee. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, March 20 at midnight.

If selected, participants will be auctioned off with a date package. Last year, the event raised $11,000 for two local charities. For more information on this event, or the nomination process, contact Lauren Mathews at community.savjaycees@gmail.com

ABOUT THE SAVANNAH JAYCEES
The Savannah Jaycees received its Charter in January of 1942. Our mission: We inspire leadership growth through community involvement. The Jaycees is a national and international organization made of up business men and women between the ages of 21 and 40. The United States Jaycees was founded in 1920. The Jaycee vision is to be the leading global network of active young citizens. The Jaycees was created to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create a positive change. For more information on the Savannah Jaycees, visit http://www.savannahjaycees.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/savannah.jaycees?ref=br_tf

(SAVANNAH, GA) The Savannah Mall will showcase students’ works of art during the month of March, in recognition of National Youth Art Month (YAM). Projects created by students from 53 area schools will be displayed in the Dillard’s Court from Saturday, March 5 to Sunday, March 27.

YAM is an annual observance each March in an effort to emphasize the value of art and art education for all children and to encourage public support for quality school art programs. The theme of this year’s event is “Save the Earth!”

The exhibit at Savannah Mall will be unveiled with an opening ceremony on Saturday, March 5 at 12 p.m. During the ceremony, the Savannah High School Chorus will be led by Choral Director Brittny Kempfer.

“A well rounded education is dependent upon a background laced with artistic experiences,” said Catriona Schaefer, teacher specialist for visual arts with Savannah Chatham County Public Schools. “The arts are a way for people of any culture to communicate and connect with one another. Practicing a form of art helps to develop critical thinking, problem solving skills, and promotes active and complex learning.”

Established in 1961, YAM provides a forum for acknowledging skills that are not possible in other subjects. The Council for Art Education (CFAE), a sponsor of Youth Art Month, strives to promote that art education develops self-esteem, appreciation of the work of others, self-expression, cooperation with others, and critical thinking skills. March is also “Music in Our Schools” month.

The Youth Art Month exhibit at the Savannah Mall will remain on display until Sunday, March 27.

For more information about Youth Art Month exhibit at the Savannah Mall, visit www.savannahmall.com.

ABOUT SAVANNAH MALL
Originated in 1990, the Savannah Mall, located at 14045 Abercorn St., features anchor stores Bass Pro Shops, Dillard’s, Target, Burlington Coat Factory and A.C. Moore. The 960,000-square-foot, two-level mall is also home to Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Gymboree, Game Stop, Champs, Hibbet Sporting Goods, Kay Jewelers, Shoe Dept., Zales Jewelers, Rue 21, Cato, Savannah Piano, Fitness Emporium, Relentless Records and Vapors Smoke Shop. Virginia College offers a variety of classes in areas such as cosmetology, medical billing, culinary arts, business, healthcare and more. The Savannah Mall’s Food Court features Chick-fil-A, Sbarro Italian Eatery, China Max, Sakkio Japan, Cajun Café, American Deli and Subway. Other dining options at the mall include Ruby Tuesdays and Texas Roadhouse, along with Savannah Candy Co., Cold Stone Creamery and the Nuts About Savannah. The Savannah Mall has a double-decker carousel in the Food Court and soft play area on the lower level for children. For leasing information, contact Becky Orsi, marketing/specialty leasing manager at 912.927.9663 or borsi@urbanretail.com. For more information about the Savannah Mall, call 912.927.7467 or visit http://www.savannahmall.com. Find the Savannah Mall on Twitter at at @savannahmall.

PriceAdvantage, a fuel price management software company and division of Skyline Products, announced today that Enmarket has chosen PriceAdvantage software to automate and accelerate fuel pricing at their 61 convenience stores throughout Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Enmarket selected PriceAdvantage based on the software’s ability to allow Enmarket to: automatically execute fuel price changes based on store-specific strategies, communicate those price changes to the store’s back office systems, then push those new prices to their POS systems, pumps, and price signs – allowing the fuel retailer to execute faster, more informed price changes.

“Enmarket is a market-leading independent retailer that has a reputation for selling high quality, competitively priced gasoline as well as freshly prepared foods and locally sourced food and beverage items ,” shared Chip Stadjuhar, President and CEO of Skyline Products. “PriceAdvantage will enable them to maximize their fuel margins with fewer manual processes, allowing them to utilize those man-hours on store operations.”

Enmarket selected the PriceAdvantage SaaS solution to leverage the benefits of a cloud service model including the low upfront cost, ease of implementation, and the maintenance and infrastructure cost benefits. The PriceAdvantage pre-built integrations with Enmarket’s current multiple point-of-sale systems allow the chain to be up-and-running quickly.

“We know that consumers base purchase decisions on both the price of fuel and the quality of in-store offerings,” stated Houstoun Demere, VP/General Manager at Enmarket. “With PriceAdvantage automations, we now have the ability to make faster, strategic price changes two or three times a day using real-time data. This will allow us to better support our brand promise of competitively priced fuel, fresh choices, and friendly faces.”

(SAVANNAH, GA) Horizons of Savannah announces plans for the 2nd Annual Louise Lauretti Hoops for Horizons Basketball Championship Tournament to be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 5 at Savannah Country Day School (SCDS). All proceeds from the event benefit Horizons, a summer program designed to help students from low-income families in the Savannah area achieve academic success. For more information, please visit: https://carriagetradepr.com/horizons-savannah-announces-2nd-annual-hoops-for-horizons-set-for-march-5/

(SAVANNAH, GA) Goodwill of the Coastal Empire has launched the Goodwill Ambassador program. Each month, the program will recognize a different local business that is employing people with disabilities or barriers and encouraging individual development through the power of work.The first Goodwill Ambassador award was presented to Terry Nickell, owner of Western Sizzlin’ restaurant in Jesup. Nickell has hired eight individuals through his partnership with Goodwill of the Coastal Empire over the past year. For more information, please visit: https://carriagetradepr.com/goodwill-ambassador-program-award-presented-to-owner-of-western-sizzlin/

(SAVANNAH,GA) Fly, float and find your way with Faith Hunter and Savannah Yoga Center. Join us on February 20 and 21 for a weekend yoga workshop with Faith Hunter. 3 different sessions will make up this two day experience. Early bird registration discounts will end on February 14. For more information visit, http://savannahyoga.com/workshops

START A BUSINESS

(INC) Want to start a business in 2016? Take advantage of learning from these business all-stars. http://bit.ly/1UkKHwo

(SAVANNAH, GA) Savannah State University’s SRPI is hosting a Job and Internship Fair on Wednesday, February 17. Recruiters can interview potential employees or interns from 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in Adams Hall on campus. There is no charge to recruit. Savannah State University offers a concentration in public relations and advertising as an option for students who are enrolled in the bachelor of arts mass communications degree program.
If someone is interested in participating, they should contact the job fair coordinator, LaBarbara “Bobbi” Bowman at 703.341.7776, or email:bobbibowman17@gmail.com

JAYCEES

(SAVANNAH, GA) Savannah Jaycees is pleased to announce their 2016 Board of Directors and Executive Officers. Cheryl Lawrence is the incoming President for the non-profit organization and serves in this capacity until 2017. Other members of the executive board include Randi Hempel as Immediate Past President, Ken Adams as Vice President, Cynthia Wright as Vice President of Communications, Lauren Mathews as Vice President of Community Development, Patrick Spivey as Vice President of Membership, Ammie Dover as Director, Antwan Lang as Parliamentarian, Shannon Dempsey as Treasurer and Morgan Pence as Assistant Treasurer. For more information, visit http://www.savannahjaycees.com

NEED VOLUNTEERS

(SAVANNAH, GA) Savannah-Chatham County Animal Control is seeking volunteers to help with the animal shelter on Sallie Mood Drive throughout the year. No prior animal experience is necessary. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, children who are 16 or older can volunteer with a parent present. To sign up for volunteer orientation email jarmstrong@savannahga.gov. For more information, visit http://animalcontrol.chathamcounty.org